With the popularity of the Internet, it is no wonder why email marketing has become one of the most popular ways for a company to market their product. Perhaps you have heard of this technique, but you do not know to use it. That’s okay, you are in luck! The following article will tell you what you need to know about email marketing.
Always get permission! Unsolicited email is not welcome, and in certain cases, can get your ISP blocked. When contacting someone, always include a newsletter or an offer – this way the customer has the chance to agree to receive your messages. The last thing you want is to be branded a spammer.
Even though it should be obvious, it is important enough to state over and over: Never send unsolicited emails. You should have explicit permission from everyone you send marketing emails to. This is about more than trying not to upset them; a recipient who considers your email spam can cause trouble for you with your service provider.
When you are having your customers provide their email address to you during the sign-up process. Make sure that you have the clear disclaimer visible that you will be undertaking email marketing campaigns. Try to give the consumer an indication of how often you intend to make use of their addresses so that they are not unaware.
If you want your email marketing messages to flow out across the Internet to people’s inboxes, consider where you are sending them from. Sent frequently from known and stable IP addresses is best. Sudden surges from new IP locations can raise suspicions and even result in blocks and blacklists from ISP’s.
Include a link at the bottom of any marketing emails that allows people to unsubscribe easily. If someone does not want to receive your messages, providing a simple way for them to unsubscribe is preferable to ending up in their spam folder. It will also help to protect your reputation as a business that respects its customers.
You should send your emails as a plain text every once in a while instead of always sending them in HTML format. This gives things a more personal touch and helps the subscriber feel that you are trying to connect. Do not use it too much though because then you may be seen as being too unprofessional.
Give customers the choice of getting a plain text version of your email marketing materials or a rich text version. Customers can choose the option they prefer when they sign up for your newsletter. Plain text versions don’t include graphics, so customers with slower connections or overactive spam filters might appreciate this option.
The only way to create and build an opt-in email list is to give your readers a chance to sign up! Go ahead and give people the option on your website by making it a place which is pleasant and where people want to sign up.
Do not send out rough drafts of your content. Write out what you want to say, and then cut the word count in half and rewrite to fit within your new limit. This generates messages that get to the point. Readers want to spend no more than three paragraphs of time reading your message, and maybe not even that.
Be sure to ask permission to be able to send information to someone’s email. When asking, be sure to offer something in return. Turn it into something that your customers will look forward to checking instead of dreading it. This will keep your emails from looking and feeling like spam.
Try using A/B testing for your email marketing campaign. This basically entails creating two very different versions of the same email (A and B) and sending “A” to half of a small test group and “B” to the other half. Whichever half receives the most positive response is the one that you should be using for your campaign.
If you use images in your emails, be sure to include Alt tags. These are just in case an image is unable to load. Make sure the tag descriptions give an accurate description of the visual image. This helps the reader get some use from the content, even if they can’t see the image. Your links should also contain these tags.
Try getting inspiration from your competitors or other people in your niche. Try signing up for their email campaigns to see what is working for them. This can give you a better idea of what you’re up against and why something may or may not be working for your own campaign.
You might want to consider following up to your clients by sending a follow-up email that includes a bad link correction. Attach a request on your email that says to read this. The ending postscript could inform them that they can get a sneak peak by clicking on the provided link.
Remember that many users now use mobile devices to check email. Mobile devices such as smart phones have a much smaller viewable area than a computer monitor often just 320 by 356 pixels, as opposed to the 1024 by 768 pixels that are common on computer displays. Try to ensure that your message looks great, no matter how your customer is viewing it.
One important tip that all email marketers should understand is that you should always keep your branding consistent. When you deal with a name, overall design, or topic, try making it consistent so that it may be recognized easily in the future. Sending an email with one layout one week and one with a completely different layout the next week doesn’t build customers’ awareness of your brand.
In conclusion, email marketing has become a favorable way to market a product, mainly due to the Internet’s popularity. Now you know the most important aspects of email marketing. By using these tips properly, you will not only become successful at email marketing, but you will find an increase in business.